Page 14 of True Stars Collide

He returned to the bed, and she was sound asleep. He climbed in beside her and prepared for a long sleepless night.

Yeah, maybe this was penance or maybe he was just an idiot.

CHAPTER 7

Zoe blinked the sleep from her eyes and gazed around the hotel room, completely disoriented. Awareness dawned at the hot, hard male imprinted against her back, his legs tucked beneath her bent ones. She looked down at the sinewy arm wrapped possessively around her waist. Liam was draped around her like a vine.

They’d spent the night together in his bed. Spooning. Spooning naked. What had they done? Or more like what hadn’t they done?

Her heart thundered in her chest, and she eased Liam’s arm off her, slowly scooting away. He grunted and his long guitarist fingers tightened on her belly. Crap. Right now, she couldn’t face him, not after the memories poured into her brain.

His golden head buried between her legs.

His talented tongue.

His wicked fingers. And his oh so naughty words.

Yeah, he’d given her the most amazing orgasm of her life and then acted like a gentleman, tucking her into his arms and falling asleep.

She wasn’t sure if she should be insulted that he’d declined her offer of reciprocation or touched that he’d been considerate enough to suggest they wait to go further. Who would have believed “Love ’em and Leave ’em Liam” was a giver? And a cuddler?

But she needed to pee, find her clothes, and escape to her own room to pull herself together. In that order.

Holding her breath, she tried again.

“Hmm…” He grumbled under his breath but didn’t move.

She managed to untangle herself from his embrace and collected her clothes from where they were strewn around the room. Her shredded thong dangled from the lampshade. Although she’d loved it when it was happening––her cheeks flamed. She tip-toed into the suite, crossed to her room, and shut the door.

A long, hot shower helped rinse off the whiskey hangover and Liam’s scent from her skin. How was she going to face him this morning and during rehearsal? Time to dig deep for all her performance skills, the acting ones, not the singing ones.

In a few hours, they were meeting the rest of the band at a small studio. But first––sustenance. Liam was likely as ravenous as she was and they both needed to soak up yesterday’s drinking binge. She ordered a vat of coffee and enough food to satisfy a family of six from room service.

She took her time drying her hair and applying a full face of makeup. Today, she needed the confidence of a smoky eye and perfect skin to project her new image as Black Velvet Machine’s lead singer. And, well, sometimes her appearance acted as armor, and she had a feeling she’d need it when she saw Liam.

A loud knock sounded at the suite door, and she hurried out of the bathroom.

Liam beat her to it, dressed in low slung jeans and a snug black t-shirt that highlighted his rangy frame. He directed the server to set up the table by the vast floor-to-ceiling windows which brought in the cerulean desert sky.

He glanced back at her, one brow raised. “Thanks for ordering breakfast or should I say lunch? I called down and you’d already done it. I’m starved.”

She joined him at the table. “I figured today would be a long one and I can’t function without caffeine and food.”

“Aha, good to know. We’re meeting the guys over at the studio in an hour. That enough time for you?”

She nodded. “I just need to throw on some clothes after we eat and I’m good to go.”

His gorgeous green eyes darkened and dropped to the fluffy hotel bathrobe she wore. With nothing under it. “Brilliant.”

And why did she have to reference her nakedness under the robe? She lowered her gaze to the mountain of scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and potatoes. They navigated the meal with small talk and technical logistics about today’s rehearsal and tomorrow evening’s show.

Easier to ignore all the other topics like the fact they were married, the fact they’d fooled around last night, and the fact they’d spooned like a couple in love. Yeah, better to overlook all of that.

Oh my god, in the space of a week she’d been hired as lead singer for one of the biggest rock bands in the world, gotten married in Vegas, and was going to perform with the band at The Theater for an exclusive audience. All the food she’d wolfed down shifted and she pressed her hands against her churning belly.

“You okay, love? You look a little pale––feeling all that whiskey?”

She cleared her throat. “Everything that’s happened this week is all hitting me at once.”

---